


Darkside, Brightside

by alittlewhitecat



Series: A Star Wars Retelling [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Darth Vader Redemption, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-12 18:10:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9083581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlewhitecat/pseuds/alittlewhitecat
Summary: Vader keeps having dreams of his former life as he hunts down the rebels to get back the Death Star plans.  He's starting to think that these dreams are the work of an outside source.The Force, along with Obi-Wan, is about to disrupt his plans majorly. AU retelling of the original story.





	1. Prelude: Picnic Memories

 

Anakin had burst into Padme's rooms, a wild glint in his eye, and had brandished a picnic basket at her. She'd groaned in exasperation and ordered her handmaidens away before motioning for Anakin to follow her to the nearest beach. 

 

They sat there in peaceful silence for awhile, before Padme broached the subject of why Anakin was picnicking with her, and not teaching young Padawans at the Academy, like he was supposed to be doing right now.

 

“Ani,” she began, pursing her lips. “You’ve been out of sorts lately, and Obi-Wan’s been more grumpy as well.”

 

Anakin smiled ruefully. “I can never get anything past you, can I?”

 

She shook her head, smiling. “Ani- I know you hate responsibility-“ Anakin let out a short bark of laughter at this, but Padme continued- “-and I’m not saying that I dislike your company at all; in fact, it’s very peaceful here with you,thank you for inviting me here, but…you can’t keep running away from things. I’m not going to help you do it.”

 

Her friend sat there in contemplative silence for a moment before creasing his brows. “Force, I know you’re right,and I hate it.”

 

She smiled encouragingly.

 

“And now you’ve made me feel like i do have a conscience,” Anakin laughed. “Thanks, Padme. Really. I mean it.”

 

“Anytime, “ Padme placed a chaste kiss on Anakin’s brow. “We’ll talk about what’s going on with you and Obi-Wan later.”

 

Off in the distance, an angry figure seemed to be marching towards them with haste. 

 

"Oh dear," Padme said. "I think Obi-Wan has discovered your absence at the Academy."

 

"Curses," Anakin reached for another piece of fruit. “Padme—you’re amazing. I’m off now, I’ll see you later.” And the Jedi got up, ruffling Padme’s hair to an indignant squeak, and strode off to meet his old Master.

 

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin spread his hands out in greeting. The angry Jedi sighed in a disappointed manner and seemed to deflate at seeing the wayward younger Jedi.

 

“Anakin, you cannot keep shirking your duties. No matter how much I do love teaching the young Padawans, I simply can’t do it when there’s 100 of them waiting to learn saber exercises and my teaching assistant is nowhere to be found.”

 

Anakin scratched at the back of his head. “I know, Ma—Obi-Wan, and I’m very sorry. i’ll shape up from now on. Promise.” Somehow the words soundedas sincere as he felt, and he was surprised.

 

So was Obi-Wan. The older Jedi gave him a searching, and slightly concerned look. “Really? Anakin, are…you’re not sick, are you?” Anakin felt his former teacher reach out tentatively via the Force bond link they still shared, and Anakin reassuringly nudged back before closing himself off.

 

“Peachy,” Anakin said, and looped an arm around his former Master’s shoulder.“And i do mean it, of course. I’ve put off meditating for so long that my emotions got all clouded, and i made some bad decisions. You were right about meditating, Obi-Wan.”

 

This only made the Jedi look more worried. “Anakin?“ he said.

 

The younger Jedi shook his head. “I promise we'll talk later. I just…need to take my mind of off things. Are the Padawans still there?”

 

Obi-Wan sighed in relief. “Yes, and they’ve been waiting. Come, Anakin.” He smiled fondly at his former student. 

 

And Anakin-turning around and waving goodbye at an exasperated Padme, pushed his whirling thoughts aside, and followed his former Master to the training grounds.

 

\---

 

 

A thousand millennia later, Darth Vader stopped, surprised at that memory that had risen to the forefront of his thoughts. Why had he remembered that now? He shook his head and continued striding through the ship, easily cutting down the rebel men who were fleeing from him. It didn't matter now--he'd made his bed, and must lie in it. 

Another image of a smiling Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala appeared unbidden in his mind, and perhaps he may have used excessive force in cutting down the next rebel soldier. 


	2. It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now it begins

The Princess of Alderaan was young and fair. Had it not been for the fierce determination in her eyes, he would have passed her off as yet another useless girl.He supposed that his initial dislike of her was not only because she was a rebel, butalso because she bore a passing resemblance to someone he’d known in his youth.

“I want to know what happened to the plans,” he huffed, annoyed. Not only did that memory of his resurface, but now he had to deal with the resemblance. These damn Rebels were causing him countless problems, and he was getting too old to go traipsing across the galaxy like this.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” The Princess spat out. “I’m a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan.”

“You’re very funny,” Vader said dryly. “As amusing as you are, I’m not in the mood for jokes.” He motioned to the stormtroopers. “Take her away!” And stalked off to find General Tarkin. 

\---

Later that night, Vader dreamed for the first time in decades. 

“Anakin,” A smiling Obi-Wan was walking towards him.Anakin felt his heart seem to bloom in his chest, and at first he gasped, because he’d had a mechanical heart since Mustafar, and affection for him was...rather nonexistent now. 

He looked down at himself to see young, unmutiliated flesh.

“I am not Anakin,” he said. “Why am I dreaming about you? What is this?”

“Padme wanted her children to meet you,” Obi-Wan’s arms were now holding two babes--a boy and a girl, from what Anakin could see. He could feel a wetness on his cheeks now, as he looked at the sleeping children.

“No,” Anakin said. “This cannot be. Where is Padme?”

“I’m right here,” said a familiar, warm voice behind him, and rather than turn around to face her, Vader now willed himself to wake up. 

\---

Vader awoke alone in his bacta tank, and the night was cold. 

“Send for the Healer,” he barked at the droid, standing motionless in his room, who beeped in acquiescence. 

He focused on getting his suit on as quickly as possible,and before he put on the helmet, he brushed his fingers against his cheeks and found they were dry. As they should be. 

The door to his room opened and the frightened Healer nervously stepped in. “Lord V-Vader,” he stuttered and bowed. “H-how may I serve you?”

“That sleeping draught you gave me should have ensured me a dreamless sleep,” Vader stated. “Tonight, it did not.”

The Healer’s eyes widened. “That’s impossible! That was an Iv’Kathar draught,there’s no w-”

Vader Force-choked the Healer until his eyes bulged. “I did not bring you here to listen to excuses. You will find me one that works.”

He let the Healer go, dropping him to the floor. “Am I understood?”

The Healer nodded at him, petrified. “Y-yes, Lord Vader! Anything you want! I should have a substitute for you tomorrow!”

“Do not fail me,” Vader said, and the Healer bowed several times before scuttling out the door. 

Vader gave a deep sigh. There was a distinct lack of possibility of sleep now, and he weighed his options before setting off towards the weapons chamber. 

He still had enemies out there, and it would not do to become soft now.

 

\---

Ben Kenobi smiled sadly as he felt at the severed link between he and his former student. The smallest tendrils were still hanging from both sides, but now they were slightly closer than they had been the day before. He prayed to the Force that this reckless, hackneyed plan would work. 

 

It wasn't their last chance, per se, but it would certainly be the path of the least bloodshed.


	3. A New Apprentice?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon divergence with a lot of stuff but things should still be familiar to you, reader :)

Anakin was highly annoyed. He’d greeted the girl kindly-what was her name again? Ahsoka...Tano. She seemed alright. Cleverer than most, despite her young age. He’d hidden his displeasure with the situation, pasted a smile on his face, and shown her to the padawan barracks, before stalking off to deal with his thoughts

The Council had, evidently, decided to ignore his wishes and chain him to the Academy, instead of letting him go on missions. He’d already become a full fledged Jedi! He was _supposed_ to benegotiating for the end of slavery on Tattooine, with the ruling heads of the tribes! Not sit here playing house with a little girl.

He was supposed to go to Tatooine to find his mother. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d made strong headway with the tribes the last time he was there on a diplomatic mission, but now... Now it was all going to waste. He hadn’t had the chance to look for his mother then, and now...he would never know if she was even still alive or not. 

He sighed. He couldn't really recall what she looked like, anymore. The Council had decided to postpone his prior agreed-upon mission there, until ‘further notice’. Which meant, never...considering that Mace had been eyeing him suspiciously during the whole meeting. Mace was most certainly the engineer of this mess.

Mace also had Yoda’s ear, so...Anakin grit his teeth. He had half a mind to just jet off to Tatooine and ignore all protocol. The Jedi Order could go kriff themselves for all he cared.

He shook his head. No, doing any of that would be the last thing he needed. He needed to calm down. His poor apprentice had probably been petrified meeting him, and he hadn’t exactly helped ease her nervousness. Anakin felt a pang of regret at that. He’d make it up to her later. 

He swung around to go to the place he liked to meditate the most--the gardens outside Padme’s rooms.

\---

What was going on? Vader shook his head. This was no time to be reminiscing. He was to go interrogate the Princess Leia soon. 

His thoughts flickered back to the Healer who had attended to him yesterday night. Darth Vader did not feel particularly hopeful that the Healer would manage to find anything that would work, considering the nature of these dreams.He probably shouldn’t kill him, however. The draught he had provided Vader had been of much use--for a time. 

Could this be the work of a Jedi, perhaps? One Obi-Wan Kenobi? He might be fool enough to try and cripple Vader with, say, the...pang of regret--Vader let out a small chuckle at that-- but more likely, Kenobi was still trying to bring him back to the Light side. Laughable. Some people never change.

This joke had gone on far too long.

There were a handful of Jedi who’d eluded order 66--chief among those were his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He’d personally hunted down all the others. However, he had hesitated once, long ago, in searching for those two Jedi, and they had taken that hesitation and run off with it. He had little idea of where they could be now.

Vader let out a cold exhale of breath. Perhaps he should call up a certain bounty hunter tomorrow.

\---

Luke Skywalker would now be about the age Anakin was, when he'd graduated the Academy, Ben Kenobi mused. He looked very much like Padme. A similar disposition, too. She would be proud. 

He blinked in surprise.

There was a disturbance in the Force. Someone near was injured--those Sand People must have had something to do with it, he thought..

He got up, his joints creaking in protest, and set off to aid whichever poor soul had caught the ire of that savage tribe.


End file.
